The Cancer Center for Kids (CCFK) at Winthrop-University Hospital received a very special gift eight years ago, and it’s continued ever since.
“In 2006, the [Garden City-based] Miracle Foundation gave a generous gift to start the Child Life Program here at the Center,” said Linda Sweeney, Pediatric Development Manager at Winthrop. “Their sustained philanthropy has made a tremendous difference in the lives of hundreds of patients and families during those years. We would not have a Child Life program without the Miracle Foundation’s support.”
Miracle Foundation officers Joseph Castronovo and Patti Tenaglia recently visited the CCFK to bestow a $50,000 grant, bringing the foundation’s total giving to the center to $400,000.
“The Miracle Foundation has enabled the Center to offer services that are a benchmark of an integrated child health delivery system and an indicator of excellence in pediatric care,” said Sweeney. “Part of an interdisciplinary and family-centered model of care, the CCFK’s Child Life Program represents a true collaboration among family, physicians and the healthcare team.”
The foundation’s enduring dedication to the Child Life Program has enhanced the CCFK’s ability to provide psychosocial support to children and their families during a difficult time in their lives. Whether it’s hospitalization or the day-to-day treatment and care that a pediatric cancer or blood disorder diagnosis requires, the Child Life specialist supports the physician’s health care goals by teaching the child coping strategies, offering pain-management techniques and communicating the child’s developmental and individual needs to members of the health care team. Mutual responsibility and trust are the cornerstones of the Center’s coordinated, compassionate continuum of care.
The Miracle Foundation’s generosity has also resulted in the education of college students regarding psychosocially sound and developmentally appropriate pediatric care. This past year, the Center’s interns from Bank Street College found their roles enhanced when they became part of the Child Life Program, and learned more about the intricacies of their future profession.
“The Miracle Foundation has helped us reach a new level and create an institutional standard,” said Sweeney. “Partnering with the Miracle Foundation, the CCFK continues to create a haven of comfort and care for its children and families.”
To learn more about the Miracle Foundation, visit www.miraclefoundation.com. To learn more about Winthrop’s CCFK, its programs and services, visit www.winthrop.cck/org or call Linda Sweeney at 516-663-9400.
